Pakistan pick Yasir, Irfan for SL T20s

Legspinner Yasir Shah, fast bowler Mohammad Irfan and pacer Sohail Tanvir have been recalled to Pakistan's Twenty20 squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka.

Fast bowler Wahab Riaz, who had fractured his hand during the Tests against Sri Lanka last month, has also been named in the squad, but will be included only once he clears a fitness test. The PCB has drafted in uncapped left-arm fast bowler Zia-ul-Haq as a replacement if Wahab fails the test.

Haroon Rashid, Pakistan's chief selector, said that Wahab was expected to start bowling from July 24 and would have to be cleared by the National Cricket Academy coaches before he could join the squad.

"Wahab Riaz is expected to start bowling from July 24, 2015 after recovering from hand injury sustained during the Test series against Sri Lanka, under the supervision of NCA coaches and would be included in the squad upon clearance that he is injury free and bowling to their satisfaction," Rashid said. "Otherwise Zia-ul-Haq - a budding young fast bowler having toured recently with Pakistan A - would take his place in the team."

Zia was part of the Pakistan A squad that toured Sri Lanka in May this year. He took six wickets in three List A games on the tour, and three wickets in the three-match unofficial Test series.

Irfan, who suffered a pelvic fracture during the World Cup, had already been picked for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. He has bowled 27 overs and taken one wicket in the three completed matches of the series so far.

Yasir, who last played a T20 international in September 2011, was included after consistent performances across Tests and ODIs on the tour. He was the highest wicket-taker in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka, with 24 wickets at an average of 19.33, and took a career-best 4 for 29 in the third ODI.

Tanvir's previous T20 international for Pakistan was against Bangladesh in April but since then, he has played in the Natwest t20 Blast and the Caribbean Premier League - for Somerset and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots respectively - apart from Pakistan's domestic T20 competition. Rashid said the selectors had been monitoring Pakistan players in the UK and the CPL, and decided to pick Tanvir based on his performances in the leagues as well as his experience in the T20 format.

Pakistan T20 squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Nauman Anwar, Mohammad Hafeez, Mukhtar Ahmed, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan, Shahid Afridi (capt), Sarfraz Ahmed, Yasir Shah, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz/Zia-ul-Haq